Richard's Reflections (June 2026)

I would like to return to something I have spoken a fair bit about. And, I am going to keep coming back to it - the subject of PRAYER.

The reason I keep talking about it, and writing here about it, (and I will be preaching about it) is that it is a vitally important part of our lives as a church family and as individuals. It was very encouraging that, before I came here, I read the Church Profile that had been sent to the Baptist Union, and one of the priorities listed there was praying more together as a church.

Excellent! But how do we do it? We arranged some days of prayer in the chapel building, but very few turned up for it. We have been praying as part of our Bible Studies and alternated between evening and afternoon meetings, but again very few are there. So, what can we do?

I actually believe that people will gather for prayer if God by his Holy Spirit puts it in their hearts to come. Nehemiah says this:

“God put it in my heart…” And so, if you haven’t been to a Prayer time or Bible Study for a long time, or maybe never, ask God that he will put it into your heart to come.

And if you are wondering why you should come, well quite simply, if we want our church to grow and flourish, we must pray. That is God’s way of doing things. We pray, and God answers. Let’s trust him for that.

These are the words of Jesus in Luke 11 v 9 - 10

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

And that means, if you don’t ask you won’t receive, if you don’t seek, you won’t find… you get the picture.

Come, my soul, your plea prepare,

Jesus loves to answer prayer;

he himself has bid you pray,

therefore will not turn away. John Newton

More on this next time

Love in Jesus, Richard